G'day Ballarat! I’ve always liked a story that makes our city the test case rather than the afterthought, and Cafs is doing just that with an Australian-first family program.

We’ve also got Chibby hanging up his flying suit after 26 years, and the old Ballarat–Geelong train idea getting dusted off again. Would you actually ride it?

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Enjoy the read.

– Luciano Devoto

It’s an Australian first Ballarat would rather not need, but one worth having. Cafs has become the first organisation in the country to deliver For Baby’s Sake, a UK-developed program helping expectant parents break cycles of domestic abuse before they reach the next generation.

Each parent gets their own practitioner, with support beginning during pregnancy and continuing until the child turns two. Parents can take part whether they stay together or separate, and families can refer themselves.

The Ballarat rollout is backed by $400,000 in state funding.

Ballarat’s Daryl “Chibby” Chibnall will hang up his flying suit at the end of the season after 26 years in emergency-services aviation. The former Ballarat Fire Brigade volunteer has clocked more than 4,500 hours spotting fires and supporting crews from above, including Black Saturday and this year’s Streatham and Mount Mercer fires.

Some of the region’s best table tennis players are in Ballarat this week, with the Oceania Championships running from Wednesday 26 to Sunday 30 August. Entry at the Ballarat Table Tennis Centre is free, with Oceania’s senior players competing before the youth championships begin next Tuesday.

Frank Bourke Oval’s new pavilions are now open, adding four changerooms, umpire facilities, a kitchen, meeting space, storage and a covered veranda. The $5.13 million project gives North Ballarat’s football, netball and cricket clubs a much bigger home base.

Passenger trains between Ballarat and Geelong have been gone for decades, but the idea is back on the agenda. Golden Plains Shire is pushing for passenger rail from Bannockburn to Geelong, with a longer-term goal of reconnecting the two regional cities. For now, it’s an election priority rather than a funded project.

A few useful bits from Council’s latest public notices:

Local community groups and not-for-profits can start applying for a new round of City of Ballarat funding from Friday 28 August. Community Impact Grants come in three funding bands, while the Community Stream of the longer-term City Partnership Program can provide eligible organisations with up to $100,000 a year for three years. Applications close Tuesday 29 September.

Ballarat line passengers have entered the roughest week of the current disruption, with coaches replacing trains between Ballarat and Southern Cross until the last service on Monday 31 August. Some services leave earlier than usual, bikes aren’t allowed, and V/Line says to allow extra time before travelling.

4🛏️ 2🛁 2🚗 | House | 721m²

There’s plenty of family-home practicality here, but a few extras make the price harder to pick. Two living areas, a wood fire, a big alfresco, veggie garden and drive-through garage all sit in a handy Ballarat North pocket near Northway Shopping Centre.

What do you reckon it’s asking?

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Until next Thursday!

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